“Call to Action” authors advise e-retailers on how to get shoppers to buy

The secret to getting online shoppers to buy something is to put them into a positive shopping mindset, say Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg, authors of the book “Call to Action.” One trick, they say, is not to pre-check boxes for shoppers.

The secret to getting online shoppers to buy something is to put them into a positive shopping mindset, say Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg, authors of the book “Call to Action.” One trick, they say, is not to pre-check boxes for shoppers, but to let them take their own steps toward a purchase.

By pre-checking boxes for visitors, a web site operator is taking away a major way that potential buyers show their commitment to ordering, and putting them in a "no mind-set," making it more likely that they`ll opt-out, the authors say.

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"Web site owners are afraid to make web visitors do the work," says Bryan Eisenberg. "But letting them check the boxes makes it more likely that web visitors will act or transact."

The second tip is to avoid presenting a site visitor with a “Register Here” link. “This stops a web visitor dead in his tracks,” the Eisenbergs say. “Instead, tell the prospect exactly what they will get when they click a link and they will continue on.”

The final tip is to remind visitors at the order form of the value of the offer. "Few people are 100% committed when they get to the order form," says Bryan Eisenberg. "Each time they reread a benefit or check a checkbox, they are one step closer to filling out the form and pressing ‘submit’."